Every year the <a href="http://www.aia.org/index.htm">American Institute of Architects</a> profiles the best green projects of the year. For 2010, the selection is truly diverse, and offers an opportunity to see that great <a href="http://inhabitat.com/architecture/">green architecture</a> is happening across every aspect of the building sector. So what caught our eye this year? Click through our slideshow for our favorites!

1

Twelve West

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_west_(building)">Twelve West</a> is a 552,000 square feet mixed use building located in Portland. It is aiming for LEED Platinum for both New Construction and Commercial Interiors. Anyone taking a look at the building will immediately notice the most notable features are the urban wind turbines installed right on site.

2

Twelve West

In addition to the turbines, the building reduced its energy consumption by 45%. Good daylight, natural ventilation, night flushing and the aforementioned wind turbines all contributed to achieve this goal. FSC timber, water efficient fixtures, rainwater tanks, and reduced thermal mass also contributed to the environmental credentials of this building.

3

No. 9 House

This unique single family residential house in New Orleans also caught the eye of the AIA. Developed for residents of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, <a href="http://www.makeitrightnola.org/index.php/work_progress/mir_homes/1744_tennessee_street/">No.9 House</a> is a prototype modular home that can be easily customized to meet the resident's needs. It has achieved a LEED Platinum rating, thanks to the inclusion of good insulation, non-toxic materials, and efficient systems.

4

355 11th St.

It's not just about new buildings though. <a href="http://www.aidlindarlingdesign.com/">355 11th street</a> is a LEED Gold certified mixed use renovation of a derelict industrial building. Developing a green refurbished project has many challenges, and this one was no exception. The project made ample use of the existing building to create a green roof, and installed solar energy harvesting systems to achieve significant energy savings, but those strategies were not what caught the AIA's eye.

5

355 11th St.

To ensure good ventilation and maximize daylight penetration, the team re-skinned the entire facade of the building with a customised perforated panel that acts as an outer skin to the building's true facade. This perforated panel gradually reveals the project's architecture, and acts to improve the overall indoor air quality for the building's occupants.

6

Manassas Park

The <a href="http://vmdo.com/projects/projects.asp?projDir=Manassas_Park_Elementary_new">Manassas Park Elementary School + Pre-K</a> is a shining example of how students can learn about sustainability right at school. The whole strategy of the building is to ensure that the students are clearly aware of the strategies involved to reduce energy and water usage. Kids are invited to interact with the surrounding forest, the bio-retention area, and understand how the building's energy and water use affect the environment.

7

Kaust

The <a href="http://www.kaust.edu.sa/">King Abdullah University of Science and Technology</a> Campus is a 5,340,000 square feet located in Saudi Arabia. So, how do you make a whole campus green?

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Kaust

First, take all of the buildings and put them as close as possible to one another to minimize solar exposure and improve light. Then, design a few wind towers right into the structure to enhance natural ventilation. And, oh yes, build an overarching roof that covers the entire campus as much as possible.

9

Manitoba Hydro Palace

The <a href="http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/grid2010.cfm?project_id=1712&amp;section=16">Manitoba Hydro Place</a> was another design that impressed the AIA. The most notable aspect of the project was that it was conducted following the guidelines of a formal integrated design process mandated by Manitoba Hydro and modeled on the successful C-2000 program developed by Natural Resources Canada, a department of the Canadian federal government. Manitoba Hydro even hired an advocate architect to document and submit the building for LEED certification resulting in a Gold rating.

10

Kroon Hall

<a href="http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/grid2010.cfm?project_id=1653&amp;section=16">Kroon Hall</a> in New Haven Connecticut was chosen based on its highly insulated skin, exposed thermal mass, and prefabricated elements. The glue-laminated arches, interior wood paneling, and window assemblies, were all fabricated off-site.

11

Omega Center

In addition to being green from the get-go (this is, after all, the <a href="http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/grid2010.cfm?project_id=1691&amp;section=16">Omega Center for Sustainable Living</a> we're talking about), the center caught the AIA's attention with its conversion of parking lots into gardens and compact design.

12

Watsonville Resource Center

The <a href="http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/overview.cfm?ProjectID=1731">Watsonville Resource Center</a> is a 16,000 sq. foot building that supports the larger Water Recycling Project to provide recycled water to farmers throughout the coastal areas of South Santa Cruz and North Monterey counties.

13

Homer Center

The <a href="http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/grid2010.cfm?project_id=1633&amp;section=16">Michael J. Homer Science and Student Life Center</a> was interesting to the AIA because its sustainability initiatives had as much to do with monitoring and adapting as they have to do with installed systems. Within the first few months of occupancy, the sophisticated energy and water use monitoring program has already helped to identify energy performance issues and several meetings have been held with school maintenance staff, faculty and food service providers to identify areas of overuse resulting in a decline of usage rates.
<a href="http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/grid2010.cfm?project_id=0&amp;section=14">+ AIA Top Ten Green Projects of 2010</a>

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AIA Top Ten Green Architecture Projects

Every year the American Institute of Architects profiles the best green projects of the year. For 2010, the selection is truly diverse, and offers an opportunity to see that great green architecture is happening across every aspect of the building sector. So what caught our eye this year? Click through our slideshow for our favorites!